Sean E. Avery

As ice caps continue their slow, subtle transformation to puddles and our resources grow feather-thin, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t considered ways to curb–or at least extend the life of–their consumption. Those habits aren’t exclusive to the art world, as all sorts of artists have begun looking to old materials, otherwise known as upcycling, for creative inspiration. Sean E. Avery, a sculptor with more CDs on his hands than time, has taken upcycling to a new level by creating animal artwork from old albums.

Cutting out the shapes needed for his sculptures with scissors, Avery then arranges each shard by color and size before gluing them onto a wire skeleton. Sometimes it takes a week to finish a sculpture, other times it could be months on end before the creatively-crafted critters are done.

Susan Stockwell

In the more digital realm, Susan Stockwell’s upcycled visions have been displayed at galleries across the globe. Highlighting technological innovation’s sweeping effects and presence throughout the world, Stockwell’s impressive maps made from computer cables and dresses adorned with decommissioned money have put her work at the forefront of the upcycling art movement since it began last year.